An f subshell contains ..............orbitals.

Answer

To determine how many orbitals an f subshell contains, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the subshell notation
The subshells are denoted by letters: s, p, d, and f. Each letter corresponds to a specific angular momentum quantum number (l).

### Step 2: Identify the angular momentum quantum number (l) for the f subshell
For the f subshell, the angular momentum quantum number (l) is equal to 3.

### Step 3: Use the formula to calculate the number of orbitals
The formula to calculate the number of orbitals in a subshell is given by:
\[ \text{Number of orbitals} = 2l + 1 \]

### Step 4: Substitute the value of l into the formula
Substituting l = 3 into the formula:
\[ \text{Number of orbitals} = 2(3) + 1 = 6 + 1 = 7 \]

### Step 5: Conclusion
Thus, an f subshell contains a total of 7 orbitals.

### Step 6: List the f orbitals
The specific orbitals in the f subshell are:
1. \( f_{xyz} \)
2. \( f_{x^3} \)
3. \( f_{y^3} \)
4. \( f_{z^3} \)
5. \( f_{x^2y^2} \)
6. \( f_{y^2z^2} \)
7. \( f_{z^2x^2} \)

### Final Answer
An f subshell contains 7 orbitals.

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